A board member of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Hon. Nse Essien says the football house will relieve head coach Jose Peseiro of his job if they are able to raise the cash they need to pay him off, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.
Nigeria has two points from their first two games of the qualifiers for the 2026 world cup following a 1-1 draw at home against Lesotho and another 1-1 draw away to Zimbabwe in Rwanda.
The results have put the head coach of the team under serious pressure with many people calling for him to be relieved of his role as coach of the team. Since taking over as coach the team has lost 60% of the games he has handled.
Essien speaking after the draw against Zimbabwe said their hands are tied when it comes to sacking the coach because they can’t afford to pay him off. He reminded Nigerians that the present board didn’t appoint the coach rather they inherited him from the Amaju Pinnick led board.
Peseiro’s deal was extended by the current board of the NFF but they slashed his earnings from $70,000 to $50,000 saying they can’t afford his previous salary. According to Essien they are even struggling to meet up with the $50,000 a month he is due, and the coach has only received three month salary since May 2022 when he took over as coach of the team.
” We have to respect Jose Peseiro’s contract. If we had the money to give him (pay him off), we are going to relieve him. We are not happy” he said in an interview conducted by Callistus Ebare of AIT.
Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman
